as in girlfriends
a female romantic companion
every Jack must have his Gill
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1
as in canyons
a narrow opening between hillsides or mountains that can be used for passage
a narrow gill in the Cumbrian Mountains of the Lake District
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in creeks
a natural body of running water smaller than a river
a narrow but surprisingly deep gill runs the length of the rocky gorge
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gills
David George Haskell, Big Think, 27 Mar. 2026
The water gets absorbed into their intestines, but the salt is transported from their blood to cells in the gills, which then push that salt back into the sea.
—Sara Kiley Watson, Popular Science, 18 Mar. 2026
Bigger, badder, ripped to the gills, literally or metaphorically, positive or not, the meaning is understood.
—Josh Gross, Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026
Since then, the hotel has seen everyone from Winston Churchill to Elton John pass through, and rooms are packed to the gills with antiques, tartans, and old photographs.
—Timothy Latterner, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Feb. 2026
Her nerves and inner paths twist into a lemniscate; her heart, gills, kidneys, osphradium, digestive organs rotate within her body from the left to the right side of her all-important foot.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
Mycologists use dichotomous keys to identify the species of mushroom based on its physical characteristics including the cap, stem, ring and gills.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026
Execution is more of the issue, as the film’s 112-minute running time feels both packed to the gills and unable to fully tackle everything James’ script throws at the wall.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
The mushroom is usually a few inches tall but can grow larger and has white gills, a pale yellow or green cap and a ring around its stalk.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 10 Jan. 2026
Noun
The clams shunt sulfur- and oxygen-rich water to bacteria that live inside the clams’ gills.
—David George Haskell, Big Think, 27 Mar. 2026
The water gets absorbed into their intestines, but the salt is transported from their blood to cells in the gills, which then push that salt back into the sea.
—Sara Kiley Watson, Popular Science, 18 Mar. 2026
Bigger, badder, ripped to the gills, literally or metaphorically, positive or not, the meaning is understood.
—Josh Gross, Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026
Since then, the hotel has seen everyone from Winston Churchill to Elton John pass through, and rooms are packed to the gills with antiques, tartans, and old photographs.
—Timothy Latterner, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Feb. 2026
Her nerves and inner paths twist into a lemniscate; her heart, gills, kidneys, osphradium, digestive organs rotate within her body from the left to the right side of her all-important foot.
—Literary Hub, 23 Feb. 2026
Mycologists use dichotomous keys to identify the species of mushroom based on its physical characteristics including the cap, stem, ring and gills.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026
Execution is more of the issue, as the film’s 112-minute running time feels both packed to the gills and unable to fully tackle everything James’ script throws at the wall.
—Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 23 Jan. 2026
The mushroom is usually a few inches tall but can grow larger and has white gills, a pale yellow or green cap and a ring around its stalk.
—Aria Bendix, NBC news, 10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gills.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gills. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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